Clinic Quick Finder

Continued Pain and Swelling After A Knee Replacement

Question:

Dear TAI Experts:

I had a knee replacement in 2008. I am in pain and have swelling…I have trouble standing for any length of time, as well with walking…my surgeon says the knee replacement was a success and cannot explain why I am so uncomfortable. I have no infection. Do you have any ideas???

Thank you

Merrily

Answer:

Pain and swelling are not always from an infection. If your knee continues to have poor mechanics due to a loss of strength or motion, you may be irritating surrounding tissues and causing chronic inflammation. Without a full physical examination and without knowing the full history of your knee problems, I can’t speak to your specific condition. The irritation may be caused by loss of a specific motion in your knee, decreased stability when you are on one leg, generalized strength losses, increased scar tissue formation, or many other possibilities. Each one of these causes requires a slightly different approach. As long as your surgeon is sure the replacement knee isn’t moving around in the bone and there isn’t an infection, your physical therapist should be able to help you manage your pain and swelling and improve your function.